The present invention relates to hidden storage beds for vehicles, such as pickup trucks, particularly to a hidden storage bed assembly method for such vehicles, and more particularly to an improved modular fabrication and assembly method for vehicle hidden storage beds without substantially altering the external appearance of the beds.
Pickup and small trucks have long been a means for transporting and/or storing tools, materials, etc. for various trades, such as plumbing, electrical, construction, repair, etc. While conventional tool boxes, which generally extend across the pickup bed, are a convenient tool storage approach, such take up a great deal of space and thus reduce the carrying capacity. Also, the conventional pickup beds have been removed and replaced with utility type beds of various types, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,267,773 issued Dec. 7, 1993 to G. Kalis, Jr. et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,713 issued Apr. 12, 1966 to D. A. Ogilvie, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,695 issued Aug. 11, 1987 to R. C. LeVee. In addition, the pickup truck body and/or beds have been modified to provide storage/utility space, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,430 issued Apr. 17, 1990 to M. A. Lawrence, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,727,971 issued Apr. 17, 1973 to M. L. Sisler.
While these prior storage/utility arrangements have been satisfactory for their intended purpose, such are an attraction for theft as well as having an appearance of a utility bed. Thus, there has been a need for a storage system for conventional (non-utility type) pickup truck beds which does not alter the bed's external appearance or significantly reduce the interior size of the bed, thereby reducing the tool theft problem while providing space for hidden storage without significant reduction of the bed's carrying capacity.
This need has been filled by the invention described and claimed in above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,567,000, which involves the conversion or assembly of a conventional pickup truck bed into a hidden storage bed without altering the external appearance of the bed, and may also provide a complimentary design to the external appearance, i.e., bulged side panels, and without significant reduction in the carrying capacity thereof. This is accomplished by providing storage adjacent the wheel well area, and along the length of the bed, and providing the fender/side panel of the bed with a hinge and latch arrangement whereby the fender/side panel can be opened to expose the storage area, or closed and latched to conceal the storage area. Thus, the conventional pickup can be used for pleasure or work without the revealing of its storage/utility capability, and can be parked in areas where theft would likely occur from conventional tool boxes or utility beds. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,823,598 issued Oct. 20, 1998 describes and claims modifications of the hidden storage arrangement of above-referenced Pat. No. 5,567,000.
Methods have been developed for fabrication and assembly of the hidden storage beds, as well as for conversion of a conventional pickup bed, for example, into a hidden storage bed, and such methods have been described and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,769 issued Jul. 28, 1998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,390 issued Oct. 13, 1998. The present invention provides an improved method of fabricating and/or assembling the hidden storage beds, and involves a modular approach to both the fabrication of components and assembly of the bed. It has been found that certain of the individual bed components can be fabricated together forming a module, thus eliminating the assembly of these components, and that sections of the bed can be fabricated or preassembled into modular components, whereby final assembly of the hidden storage bed can be carried out by modular assembly, thereby reducing costs of fabrication and/or assembly of the bed components.